Meet Carla, Vinicius, & Gabriel Rintjema

My name is Carla Farabulni. My family and I are from Niagara Falls, Ontario and we stayed at RMH®SCO for nearly 5 months when Gabriel was in the hospital.

Hometown Niagara Falls

Service Used Hamilton House, Hamilton Family Room

Days 131

Our Story

Our journey with the Ronald McDonald House began in the midst of the most challenging period of our lives. We were so excited when we found out I was pregnant, expecting to give birth in October. However, everything took an unexpected turn on a Saturday in June … we were running our usual errands when I sensed something was wrong. We rushed straight to St. Catherine's Hospital, where we learned that Gabriel would be born that very day at just 23 weeks and 4 days.

Following his birth, Gabriel was promptly transferred to McMaster Hospital to be treated in the NICU. I remained in the hospital for four days after the delivery. During this time, my husband shuttled back and forth from home, organizing clothes and essentials for the upcoming days.

During my time in the hospital, I was contemplating how we’d manage logistics, given the 1-hour drive from our home. We even discussed the idea of me spending the entire day at the hospital with our son, while my husband would take over the night shifts. This would have been incredibly exhausting, not to mention the three of us would never get to be together.

As we grappled with the challenge of being far away from our newborn boy, the Social Worker shared the possibility of staying at Ronald McDonald House. The idea of having a place that welcomed us so warmly and was conveniently located next to the hospital gave us such relief!

We visited the Ronald McDonald House on the same day I was discharged from the hospital. Given the circumstances, my mom even traveled from another country to support us during this tough time. The team at the House was simply wonderful from start to finish! They offered us a comfortable room, and thought of absolutely everything to make us feel at home for the 4+ months we stayed there; from diverse menus and daily smiles to incredible volunteers and all the support we needed!

We were at the House during both my husband’s and mom’s birthdays – the RMH®SCO team went above and beyond by putting birthday signs outside our door, even including a card in my mom’s mother tongue. This gesture was incredibly special!

Going through the incredibly challenging process of having our newborn in the hospital for so many months, but then having the opportunity to stay so close to him in a place that felt like home made our journey much more manageable. We are grateful beyond words for the wonderful care provided by Ronald McDonald House SCO. I hope that other families facing similarly challenging situations can have the opportunity to stay at the House RMH®SCO because, without a doubt, it was our source of light during one of the darkest times in our lives.